Moments
by HazardousAnNee
Summary: And in the end, the love we take will be equal to the love we take - Paul Mcartney
1. As you sow so shall you reap

Disclaimer: SM owns all characters. The plot is mine.

**Chapter 1 : As you sow so shall you reap**

_Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he's not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that is perfect for you._

**_Bob Marley_**

Bella packed her bag up as quickly as she could. It was Christmas Eve and she was still at the studio.

"Don't go, Bella," a voice whispered behind her and she jumped as she felt a pair of two warm hands settle on her waist. She relaxed, though, as she felt familiar lips graze across the back of her neck.

"Edward," she murmured and turned slowly, staring deep into the crystal blue eyes she loved so much. "Baby, I have to go."

"No. You don't have to anything. You could stay here with me tonight. Just for tonight. Please babe," he whined and slipped into his pout. She laughed and turned back around to packing her bag, shaking her head at his antics.

"Bellaaaaa."

"Edwaaaard."

"Fine. Go on then. Get outta here," he grumbled and dropped his hands from her waist, pouting like he was 3 instead of 30.

Bella grinned and raised one eyebrow. "Really? I can go?"

"Well I can't stop you if you want to go, can I?"

Bella stood up on tippy toes and whispered in his ears. "I bet you could," she purred.

Edward growled and pulled her to him roughly, crushing her mouth with his. She only moaned in approval and pulled herself up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. The kiss went on and on until she pulled away for air. Even then his mouth only went to her neck, sucking the skin there gently and she threw her head back as she ground against his erection.

"Bella, baby, you need to stop doing that if—fucking hell—you're going home, mm, anytime soon," he choked as she licked his Adam's apple

It wasn't like Bella was completely unaffected either. "Mmm, maybe I don't want to go." She bit his earlobe and he growled. The sound went straight between her legs and she ground against him again.

"That's it. You're not going anywhere. You started this, now finish it," he grunted.

"Gladly," she murmured. Hands wandered, lips discovered skin, sighs melted into cries and they were lost once again.

It was almost five in the evening when Edward opened his eyes, his back stiff from sleeping on the floor. Bella was breathtaking as her brown hair spilled like honey from a jar all around her, creating a halo effect. Her satisfaction was obvious through the small smile that played on her lips. Even asleep she was beautiful. And she was his.

He carefully pulled himself away from her, disentangling himself carefully but ended up waking her anyway. He grinned sheepishly at her as she cracked an eye open.

"I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Mm, I know. Where are you going? Come back to bed," she pouted adorably and Edward chuckled.

"Baby, I wouldn't be going anywhere if this was a bed. This," he gestured around them, "is not a bed though. And it's killing my back." He sighed a little and when he looked at her, his smile was bright, his eyes teasing.

"You know you could always take me up on that offer for a bed. It would help. God knows we have more sex here than we do anywhere else."

"We have a lot of sex in your car too. Does that mean we should install a bed there too?" Bella insisted.

Edward raised his hands up in surrender. "Alright, cool. Just don't blame me if we both die of early back and neck problems."

"Whatever. Come back to bed," she grumbled and reached up her hands, trying to pull him back to her.

"Stop calling this a bed," he countered.

"Fine. Come back to me. Worship on the altar of my ivory mounds," she quoted his favorite book and Edward's eyes snapped open as he glared at her while she shook with her laughter.

Edward was angry at her no doubt, but while he stared into her eyes something close to awe warmed him from head to toe. This wonderful, beautiful woman was all his and he was so, so glad to have her. Suddenly the four block distance between their apartments was too much.

"Move in with me."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his eyes widened comically. He had meant the words, of course, but holy shit…

Bella, however, was completely unfazed. If nothing, she looked a little suspicious.

"Move in with you?"

"Yes. Move in with me. Or I'll move in with you. Either way I don't want four blocks between us. And I want to spend New Year's with you."

"Okay," she nodded, still unfazed, although her eyes twinkled and the façade was dropping quickly.

"Okay? Really? We're staying together?"

"Together," she nodded and he bent down so they could seal it with a kiss.

Next Year – Christmas Eve

"Edward you are such a man whore. You could have totally just like, not flirted with that girl. You still had to, didn't you?" Bella huffed, frustrated. Edward smirked from his corner on his bed. Their bed.

"Well we wouldn't have gotten that pretty throw pillow that you wanted if I hadn't flirted with her, would we?"

"Ugh, I bought that just to annoy you. You and I both know how much we both hate throw pillows."

Edward laughed and turned back to the television. "Uh huh."

Bella stomped her foot in frustration, walking out to the living room, storming back in and throwing said throw pillow at him. He laughed even harder. She tried her best to stay angry but failed miserably. A few seconds later, she joined in too.

He motioned her closer and she climbed up, snuggling to his side as he wrapped his hands around her.

"We're going to have a great life together, baby."

His tone had changed and she turned to face him. He swallowed nervously, while her eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do. Edward ran his fingers though his hair, messing them up more so than the usual.

"Edward?" she whispered.

He stood up nervously, backed away from her and knelt on the floor while she faced him. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears and she blinked them back furiously, not wanting to miss a minute of this.

"I've practiced this in my head all day. All week. But now I can't remember a word." But Edward was still grinning and Bella thought it was all the more perfect because it wasn't perfect.

"Say anything, Edward," Bella shrugged. "It's always going to be perfect if it's you."

Edward nodded, encourage by her faith in him. "Bella…you're amazing. You deserved to be proposed to in any way your crazy brain can come up with. You deserve to be proposed to every day. You deserve anything you want, every thing you want and, for some reason, I'm lucky enough to be one of those things. So have me. Marry me. Let me be your best friend and your boyfriend and your fiancé and your husband and everything in the world I can possibly be to you. So just let me be close to you, always. Marry me." Edward closed his eyes and bit his lip. "Crap I said that twice already.

"Say it again," she said to him. "Third time's a charm."

"Bella," he said, looking right at her. He was serious and she was too. Her heart was pounding as he took one of her hands and pulled the ring box out of his pocket with the other. He opened it and slipped the ring right on to her finger. She didn't even look at the ring; nothing, not even her ring could make her look away from his eyes, at that moment. "Marry me."

"Of course!" she said because, of course she'd marry him. The motion was so fast but suddenly there was a ring on her finger and she was engaged. She was officially someone's. She was officially Edward's. She was laughing and crying and just happy.

Edward stood and swept her into his arms, saying "really?" against her lips as he kissed her and she said "yes" back a million times. He'd asked and she just couldn't stop saying yes.

If every moment with Edward could be even one-thousandth as fun and loving as that one was, then she knew she was in for a very good life.


	2. He who hesitates is lost

**Chapter 2 : He who hesitates is lost**

_"Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight ET563 to New York City. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you."_

My wife poked me in my ribs and pulled me to her, so that her mouth was at my ear. "Does it count if the small child isn't born yet?"

I bit back a smile. "Should I ask?" I asked seriously. She considered me for a moment before shaking her head, no.

"Alright," I said, chuckling. "Let me know if you change your mind."

Bella's grey eyes turned to me, narrowed. Oh she was nice and annoyed now.

"Are you making fun of me?" she demanded.

"No, baby. I love you." I smothered another smile that would have surely have gotten me into trouble with her.

She nodded and turned to look rather enviously, I must say, at the queue full of running, screaming and to-be-born children. She ran her hand over her protruding belly—she was almost 34 weeks now—and sighed.

"She'll be here soon, babe."

"You mean _he'll_ be here soon, Edward." It wasn't a question and the mommy hormones were showing. Best to just let it go.

"Of course, Bella." I even kissed her cheek while she visibly relaxed.

Even though it would be a girl. 

It wasn't a girl.

Seth Cullen was born at the 38th week, all ten pounds of smiles and love and sweet smelling baby powder. But most importantly he was loved.

"Jesus. He's so cute I'm gonna die, here," his Aunt Rosalie exclaimed while she cooed at Seth as he looked up at her from his cradle.

"Yeah well he goes after his father, that way." Grandma Renee smiled. "God knows Bella was so thin I didn't even feel it when they pulled her outta me."

"Eww, mom, gross," Bella cringed, although the smile hadn't fallen off of her face since the past three hours. At the same moment, Seth let out a loud wail and had his Aunt Rose jumping almost a foot in the air at the screech. His features twisted into an angry red scowl and his little arms flailed. It was time for dinner.

I got up slowly from my place on the couch as Rosalie and Renee kissed and hugged Bella and let themselves out, promising to be back tomorrow. Picking him up tenderly, I brought him to Bella where she'd already undone the top buttons of the hideous hospital gown and gently placed him into her waiting arms.

Bella winced just slightly when he began to suck.

Her eyes turned to me and I wasn't sure what she saw but her eyes filled with tears and I leaned forward to brush her hair, away from her face. She was so beautiful.

"Talk to me," she whispered, and I sighed. There was so much to say.

I took a shuddering breath and flopped down beside her, my eyes on Seth's angelic face, half asleep and feeding drowsily. I didn't want to speak about it yet; this moment was too perfect, too striking, and Bella seemed to understand. She smiled down at her son, humming softly. I averted my eyes to the window.

Too soon they were done and Bella gently stroked the sleeping baby's head while laying him down beside her and cleaning herself up quickly.

I smiled gently, still looking outside the window. "I wish I had the words to tell you…" I shook my head. "But there are none."

"I can _say_ it was pure agony to watch you go though that awful pain and how that conflicted with the indescribable beauty of what you were doing, but no way does _saying_ it cover what was going on here." I pressed my fist against my heart.

"And then the joy, pure, overwhelming, _mind blowing_ joy, when they put him in my hands and then the fear because they were _my_ hands and what if I hurt him?" I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. That first look at his small face, his skin that looked too big on him and his ten fingers, ten toes. All signs that he was real. He was real and he was ours.

I opened my eyes again. "And then to put him in your arms and see that same joy on your face, in your eyes." My gaze shifted to Seth where he lay, swaddled in white and perfect in every way. "And the love, so strong, so _powerful,_ just like my love for you, but different. I don't know..."I stopped and bowed my head. "I can say the words but I want to tell you how it_feels_…and I can't."

Bella reached out her hand to me.

"Edward," she whispered, and I went to her, sitting at her feet and resting my head in her lap. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I looked up at her, hoping that my eyes told her everything my words couldn't.

Three months later – Our Home

My eyes widened as though I were a boy about to be caught with my hand in the cookie jar when I heard Bella's bare footsteps slap across the tile. I had time to just slowly shut the door to Seth's room when there was an amused throat clearing behind me. I turned to face my smug wife guiltily.

"What is it this time, babe? Was he hungry? Did he need to be changed? Or was he lonely?" I could hear the smile in her voice.

I shrugged and stretched my hand. She gave a little giggle as she took it, and I pulled her to me, tucking her under my chin and opening the door to look at our sleeping angel.

"He's fine. Daddy was lonely, though. Mommy was asleep—as she needs to be—but Daddy couldn't help thinking if baby was alone. So he woke up to check up on him," I ended softly.

"Edward," Bella whispered softly and turned around to give me a kiss on my neck, considering it was the highest part of me she could reach. "Baby it's been three months. We need to start letting him sleep here. And he have that baby monitor set up—fuck it, lets take him with us," she said, giving up and we were both visibly guilty as we picked Seth up and took him to our room.

She laid him down in the middle of the bed and I climbed in at his other side. We got up on our elbows and for some time, only stared at each other. For the first time in three months, I actually looked at my wife. I was seeing her everyday, sure, but I wasn't actually looking. And today I did.

She looked happy, content and tired. So, so tired.

"I think I'm gonna call your parents here tomorrow. Lets go for dinner. Just you and me. We need a break."

Bella did not disappoint. "Or we could just order some mu shu pork and have a little movie night right here."

"Bella."

"But—"

"Bella."

"What if—"

"Bella."

She sighed. Bingo!

"Okay. But not for very long and we'll be back—"

"Honey, I know. _I know_. I'm gonna admit, I'm not comfortable leaving him for an entire evening too. But you need this, Bella. Both of us do."

"I know, Edward. I just assumed we'd go out when things became, you know, normal."

I glanced down at the sleeping, drooling angel between us. "Honey, this _is_ the new normal."

Her smile was beautiful in the moonlight. "Obviously."

"So tomorrow night. What do you think about sushi?"

"Do you remember the night we discovered we were pregnant?" she asked, her lips pursed and her eyes wide, innocent.

My usual guilt flared at the reminder but I nodded calmly.

"I never told you that I forgive you."

I was well aware. "What?"

"We fought, we made up and then we had make up sex and it was normal after that. But you apologized for…well, you apologized and I kind of jumped your bones but I never told you that I forgive you."

"I know."

"Well, I forgive you. I understand that you were scared and angry but I also understand that your anger always comes from fear. Your reasons for being afraid were valid but instead of trying to understand you, I goaded you and even called you a…well, you know what I called you," she ended, glancing down at Seth.

"Baby, I snapped at you outright, denying that this was my baby. I was in a drunken funk for three days and it took you in a hospital with a panic attack to snap me out of it. I think you had the right to call me a motherfucking asshole."

Both our eyes widened in horror and Bella covered her mouth as she realized my slip. Thankfully, Seth was still asleep. We relaxed infinitely and she giggled at my expression of intense relief.

"You dork. He's three months old. He can't understand yet," she quoted me from a week ago and let out a full belly laugh, her head thrown back and her hand on her mouth.

I laughed and marveled at this happy piece of our forever.


End file.
